Lightning, Thunder, and Fireflies
by Blushing.white.rose
Summary: Part two of "Igniting Fires." AU. The team must go to Africa to find the man responsible for Professor Broom's death. Hellboy and Liz's relationship is put to the test, and the BPRD team must fight to hold together. Also, a young, gifted boy joins them.
1. Chapter 1

Lightning, Thunder, and Fireflies

Disclaimer: I do not own these amazing characters (except for my originals). All rights belong to Mike Mignola, Guillermo del Toro, and all the other folks involved. I just own my imagination. Enjoy!

--

Within a few hours the plane landed at the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense. Liz awoke sitting up against the side of the plane, Hellboy's head in her lap, his body stretched out. "Red, Red wake up," Liz said, gently rubbing his shoulder. His eyes opened, immediately focusing in on her.

"Guess nap time's over," he said, before slowly getting up and standing. He offered her his hand, and pulled her up beside him. Even though she was up, HB did not release her hand from his. Liz looked down at their locked hands, then looked at him. A smug expression crossed his face, though something deeper surfaced in his eyes. After a quick moment she broke the gaze, a bashful smile crossing her lips. Their hands stayed clasped even as they exited the plane, and walked into the main building of the BPRD.

By that time it was around three in the morning, and all was quiet except for the returning company. When everyone else had cleared out, only Liz and Hellboy remained, standing in the open foyer.

"G'night, Liz," HB said, leaning over to cradle her head with his hand and kiss her on the forehead. A smile came.

"It's not night anymore, HB," she responded, before hesitantly taking the lapel of his trench coat in her hand, and leaning up to place a quick kiss on his mouth. The contact shocked Hellboy for a moment. She had initiated the kiss. He stared at her, as she walked away toward her room. That powerful feeling overcame him, the feeling he had felt for such a long time. And now it was finally being returned. Reluctantly, he walked down the hall to his own room, Liz never far from his thoughts.

--

Later in the morning, after the sun had finally risen, investigation continued on why Professor Broom had been murdered. It was a clear act of arson, someone who apparently knew what they were doing. But why?

"It doesn't seem like we have any immediate threats, since Yafaran is now gone," Abe said, standing in the BPRD's main conference room.

"Well someone wanted him gone, and they succeeded. So we need to get this fiend and keep him from doing it again. That night that we were all at the swamp, I think that might have been a distraction. To get us away from here so they could do the dirty deed," Manning said. Hellboy stood nearby, leaning against a wall. He didn't like discussing the topic of his father's death, but he knew it had to be done. Liz stood next to Abe, trying to figure it out.

"But why would they want Professor Broom dead? Unless he had something that they wanted, or maybe it was revenge?" she suggested.

"Revenge for what? Father never harmed anyone, what would they be taking revenge for?" Hellboy inquired, his face dead serious, an expression of unhappy discomfort on his face. Liz looked at him.

"We know that. But people don't always have logical reasons for doing things. Things like this," she said, before walking over to stand at Hellboy's left side. Liz ran her hand along his arm, which hung limply at his side. He looked into her eyes, seeing the deep understanding that lay there. When her hand went down to rest at her side, his quickly found hers, this small gesture a reminder of their deepened relationship.

"Well just keep working on it. We got agents working their asses off, we're going to find this guy," Manning said, picking up a file, then turning to head out. Abe looked at his two remaining friends.

"Don't worry, Red, we're doing everything we can," he said, then turning, walked out of the conference room. Hellboy groaned.

"Yea, I bet." Liz released his hand, then walked toward the door. "Liz," HB said, walking over to her. She stopped, turning to look at him.

"Abe…told me what ya did for me, when I almost drowned in that river," he said, never breaking his gaze. Liz returned it.

"You've done a lot for me, HB. I wanted to return the favor," she said, leaning up, and kissing him gently on the cheek. Both knew it was more than that, and therefore it didn't need to be said.

Most of the day passed without event, as everyone continued to question why the professor had been murdered. Hellboy wandered from room to room, trying to help with the investigation, but providing no real assistance. Liz worked diligently with Abe in the conference room, searching through the professor's journals as well as the BPRD computer. It seemed nothing would turn up.

"What if we never find the one who did this, Abe? What if he's still out there, waiting to hurt us again?" she asked, tiredly closing another application on the computer.

"We won't let that happen. Something will turn up, and we'll have a lead, don't you worry," Abe replied, pausing for a moment to look at her. Some of the professor's journals had been recovered from the fire, and were still legible.

"We have to find him, for HB," she said, thinking about how broken hearted he had been. Abe nodded, continuing to read through the pages.

"Liz, listen to this. On the date of October 27, 2004, professor Broom made an entry. '_I've yet again received threats from the Raja natural. It seems he is willing to use force to try and take my son way from me. He will not succeed. I will not let him. I shall have to tell Hellboy soon. Raseinai will not accomplish what he has set out to do'_". Abe was silent, trying to understand.

"Someone's after Hellboy," Liz said, fear in her voice.

"It appears so. He never got the chance to tell Hellboy, since he died only a few days after this entry. I wonder who this Raseinai person is. Try to see what you can find on the database," Abe replied, as Liz began furiously searching the computer. At that moment, Hellboy walked in.

"Find anything?" he asked, coming over to Abe.

"As a matter of fact, yes. And I think you should read this," Abe said, handing the journal to Hellboy. HB read silently, his face falling. Looking up, there was much distress in his features.

"Someone was after me? And they killed father as a way to get my attention," he said, putting the pieces together. Then, a shadow of anger clouded his face. "Well they sure got it."

"Abe, I think you should come over here," Liz called, alarm in her voice. Abe quickly walked over, followed by Hellboy. "Hear this; in 1981 the BPRD received a series of attacks, all caused by 'natural sources'. But they were actually caused by a man named István Raseinai. It says he practiced a type of voodoo that only corresponded to natural things…plants, weather, water. He disappeared when pursued by the BPRD and hasn't been heard of since…until now," she finished, looking up at the two males.

"I remember that. All those attacks. I was here, and father had me locked me in my room. He was gone a long time, and when he came back, he wouldn't tell me what had happened," Hellboy said, his eyes distant.

"I guess we know why, if you were the reason," Liz said, leaning back in the chair. "What are we going to do?"

"Does it say when he was seen last?" Abe asked, referring to the file on him. Liz looked again.

"Last seen in Maiduguri, Nigeria. Apparently he's quite the voodooist." Hellboy grumbled, obviously miffed by this latest development. Suddenly, the door to the conference room was forced open. An agent walked in, clearly upset.

"We just found this note, slipped in with some documents that came today," he handed the note to Abe. Abe opened it, cocking his head to the side slightly.

"It appears to be in French…we'll need to translate it," Abe stated. Liz took the note, and placed it under the scanner. An application popped up on the screen, showing the written note. Another version of it in English popped up next.

"J'ai pris le père et je prendrai le fils. N'essayez pas de m'arrêter."

"I took the father and I will take the son. Do not try to stop me."

On the bottom of the note were the initials, "IR." "Looks like this is our guy," Liz said, her face solemn, eyes focusing on Hellboy.

"And it looks like we're going to Africa," Abe said, retrieving the note, then heading out to go tell Manning.


	2. Chapter 2

By the next morning all of the headquarters was busy at work, getting ready for the long trip. They wouldn't be ready for another day or so.

"I was thinking. Maybe, since this Raja guy is after me, I should go alone. I mean, why risk other lives when it's me he's after?" Hellboy pondered out loud, sitting on his bed. Liz lay on a couch nearby. Hearing his words, she sat up.

"How can you say that? You know we'd never let you go alone. You don't know how dangerous he is…you're going to need us there, whether you like it or not," she said, looking at him with resolution in her eyes. He sighed, clearly troubled. Liz got up, walking over to where he sat. She put her hands on his shoulders, making him look at her.

"Is that what's bothering you, you're afraid others will get hurt?" He was silent a moment, feeling rather lost in her eyes.

"I don't want anything to happen to you…or Abe, or anyone else,. I wasn't able to save father when he needed me…I don't want that to happen again" he admitted, concern writing his expression. He looked down, unable to meet her eyes this time. Liz gently caressed his shoulders, her hands moving slowly down his arms. The sensation gave him the goosebumps. When her hands came down to his, she took his normal one in her own, her other hand resting lightly on his stone one.

"Nothing is going to happen to me, or Abe, or anyone else. We can do this, HB. I believe in you…I believe in _us_," she insinuated this last word, causing him to turn his head to the side slightly, studying her beautiful face. Leaning over, she placed a kiss to his forehead. As she was about to move Hellboy once again grabbed her arm, gently but firmly. Looking into his eyes, so much was spoken in those few seconds. Leaning over again, Liz brought her face closer to his.

Right as her mouth was about to touch his she stopped, waiting for him. In an instant his mouth met hers, his left hand coming to pull her waist closer to him. After a quick moment of close mouthed kissing, Liz felt him open his, and his tongue gently found its way to hers. His arm pulled her even closer, she could feel his stomach against hers. Passion caused a smoldering sensation to begin at her heart, then course throughout her body. He felt it too. Just as she felt his arm working its way down her back, the door to his room suddenly opened, Myers standing there.

He was shocked to see the two locking lips, so much heat evident in their interaction. Feeling horrible for intruding on such a private moment, he quickly turned around and walked out. Liz pulled away a little, just in time to see Myers walking out. Looking at HB a sheepish look came to her face, one that made Hellboy love her all the more.

"Guess he knows to knock from now on," HB commented, earning a shy smile from Liz, blush spreading over her face.

--

"You know, I don't think I've ever seen Hellboy this easy to get along with, or this happy," Myers commented, as he and Liz finished a game of battleship on the plane. They were over the Atlantic Ocean now, still eleven hours away from their destination. Liz glanced at the big monkey, who was chatting with Abe at the other end of the plane. She smiled slightly.

"Maybe he's just in a good mood," she said, turning her attention back to the game at hand. Myers gave her a look.

"Maybe…or maybe he's in love," he said, watching as her lips curved into a fuller smile. She looked at Myers, knowing it was true.

"It seems like we were just on this plane. I wish we could have stayed at the BPRD longer," Liz said, remorse in her voice. Myers nodded.

"Yea, but that's how the job goes. And besides, we have to find this Raseinai guy, and I don't think it's going to be easy." Liz was silent, wondering what this mission would lead them to. Hellboy looked over at the two, seeing them converse together comfortably. He couldn't help but feel a little pang of jealousy. As much as he trusted Liz, he didn't trust Myers's feelings for her; feelings which were still unclear to him. Obviously Myers knew Liz was his girl, but that wouldn't stop him from hoping.

With only a few more hours to go before reaching Nigeria, the company on board tried to rest as best they could. Hellboy slept sitting against the plane, Liz napping next to him, her head on his shoulder. Abe slept in a tank of water nearby, while Myers sat in one of the few seats there were, nodding off frequently. When they felt the plane plummet a little, the company was jolted awake.

"We're here," Manning announced, cigar in hand.

"That was fun," Hellboy commented, moving his head from side to side. Quiet popping sounds were heard, making Myers wince. Liz rolled her eyes. As they exited the plane, they were surprised to find that they hadn't landed on an aircraft base. It seemed more like the middle of nowhere, the Africa landscape visible in all directions. Hellboy grumbled.

"Wouldn't you know it. We get sent to a hot place in the middle of their summer. This'll be great," Hellboy said, sarcasm evident in her voice.

"If you're so hot then don't wear your coat," Liz said, giving him a look.

"Alright. I received some information from a place called the Telegnostic Underground. They do work similar to what we do, only more…"

"Secretly?" Abe suggested. Manning huffed.

"Yes, more secretly, and without any help from the…paranormal," he finished.

"Like us," Hellboy looked at Abe and Liz. Manning said nothing. Taking out his tracking device, he looked around to see which direction they should go in.

"According to mambo here, we should go that way for about half a mile, then we'll reach our destination," Manning said, beginning to walk east.

"And where exactly is our destination?" Hellboy asked, trudging along after.

"You'll see."

--

The group walked along for what seemed like a long time, the sweltering heat all around them. Liz stopped occasionally to take pictures, marveling at how pretty the African plain was. She had never seen something so tranquil and natural.

"Liz, if you don't keep up you might get left behind." Myers warned, humor in his voice. She continued to snap a photo.

"I wouldn't mind." Hellboy looked back at her, seeing a look of enchanted ness on her face. He wondered how she could find so much joy in a place like this. Sure, the sights were alright, and certainly unique, but it wasn't anything he wanted to celebrate. Suddenly, the sound of a motor was heard. Behind them, they could see a smaller version of their BPRD garbage truck.

"What the…" Hellboy began.

"We had that stored in the last compartment of the plane. They just needed some time to unload it," Manning explained, quickly joining agent Clay in the front seat. "You all will have to go back there," he said, motioning to the back of the truck. Hellboy grumbled.

"Just like old times." HB, Liz, Abe, Myers, and three other agents all cramped into the back. Liz sat closest to Hellboy, clearly uncomfortable with being trapped in such a confined area with other people. "You okay, babe?" he asked her quietly.

"I will be once we get out of this garbage truck," she answered, her hands clasped in her lap. Hellboy smiled slightly, finding her behavior strangely endearing. In a few minutes they came to a halt. A voice was heard from Myers' locator belt.

"You can come out." It was Agent Clay. The door to the truck was opened, and one by one, the agents were let out. When Abe and Hellboy were preparing to come out, Manning stopped them.

"Now listen. The people in this area of the world are a bit…particular about who comes into their midst, and religion and all that. So for now, we're going to need you two to just stay here, while we go and figure out where this guy is," he explained.

"What?" Liz said, clearly upset. She looked at Manning, slight anger in her eyes.

"I was about to ask the same thing," HB said, beginning to get down from the truck. Manning held up his hands, desperately trying to stop him.

"It's for your own safety. These people won't know what to make of your…physiques. And we don't want any unnecessary confrontations. As soon as we can find the guy, that's where you guys come in. It's nothing personal," he finished. They could see he was right, but that didn't make it any easier for them to sit and wait. Liz came closer to Abe and Hellboy.

"We'll be back soon, don't worry," she said. Reaching out she affectionately touched Abe's arm, his body language showing he was terribly disappointed. Hellboy brought his hand to stroke Liz's cheek. Looking into his eyes, Liz could see the worry there.

"Be careful," he quietly said. Giving him a half smile, she brought her hand to his.

"I will. See you later."

--

Reviews are greatly appreciated!


	3. Chapter 3

While the rest of the group set out, HB and Abe were forced to stay in the back of the truck, able to see out but unseen by passerby. The truck sat in a wide alley, posters covering the walls, people walking by.

"Well, Abe old buddy, looks like we're gonna have to sit this one out," Hellboy said, making himself comfortable. Abe sighed.

"You know I really wish there was some way this could be avoided. These problems that occur, just because we don't look like everyone else. You'd think people could have a little acceptance in them, not judging others by looks or origin." Hellboy heard these words, and nodded, knowing exactly what the marine creature felt.

"Yea. I don't know what it is with people. But I know one thing, Myers better keep his hands off my girl."

--

Walking through the streets of Maiduguri, the six remaining members of the BPRD had been split up into three pairs. The goal was to find any information they could about the whereabouts of István Raseinai. Liz had been paired with Agent Clay. The buildings in Maiduguri varied from large to small, dark, to light. Vehicles moved sluggishly through the crowded streets, people walking on the sides of the roads, paying no heed to the cars. One building that looked to be a church reminded Liz of an oblong cylinder. It was white with a cross on the front.

Pausing to look, she raised her camera to snap a photo. "You can't be taking pictures every five seconds. We got a lot to do," Clay said, stopping to wait. Liz gave him a look.

"I'm not taking them every five seconds." They continued to walk, looking for anyone who might know a lot about the people of Maiduguri.

"Hey, hi, do you know of a man named István Raseinai? I've heard he's quite the voodoo guy," Clay asked an old looking man who was sitting selling some crocodile skins. The man shook his head, his face cranky and displeased. They walked on for the next few hours, asking many people the same question, with the same results.

"Do you know anyone named István Raseinai?" Liz asked an older woman. The woman's eyes went wide.

"Raja Raseinai? I have not heard that name in long years. It is not spoken on the lips of our people," she answered, quickly turning and hurrying away.

"Wait!" Liz yelled, following after her. The woman wove her way quickly through the crowds, before Liz finally caught up to her. When Clay turned to see where she had gone, he couldn't see her amidst all the people.

"Agent Clay, we're heading back to base now. The truck, that is," Manning's voice said on his locator belt.

"Copy that," Clay answered, still unable to sight Liz.

--

"They ought to be back by now. Ughhhh, I knew this was a bad idea," Hellboy said, pacing back and forth in the truck.

"Don't worry. I'm sure it's just taking them some time," Abe said, sensing the demon's uneasiness. Just then, a loud sound was heard from the back of the truck. After a moment the back opened, and five of the agents were revealed.

"Where's Liz?" Hellboy inquired, immediately noticing that she was not among them.

"I told Clay to meet us back here, hold on," Manning said, pressing a button on his locator belt. "Clay, where the hell are you?" he demanded. An out of breath Clay was heard.

"I'm here, just trying to find Liz. She ran off after some women, and I haven't seen her since," he said. Hellboy immediately pulled Manning to him, speaking into the transmitter.

"Listen to me, Clay. We've known each other a while now, and I'm telling you, anything happens to her and you are dead meat," he growled, his eyes severe. There was a pause on the other end.

"You bet, big guy. I'm going to find her. I promise," a slight quiver was heard in his voice. Clay widened his gait, now running through the swarms of people. Panic was beginning to overtake him when suddenly he ran straight into someone. It was Liz.

"Oh my God, what happened?" she asked, clearly concerned. Clay took a deep breath.

"Why'd you run off like that? Do you have any idea what Hellboy would do to me if I lost you?" he asked her, sweat seeping through him. Liz's face softened.

"I'm sorry. That lady, she knew something about Raseinai, but she wouldn't tell me. Apparently people don't talk about him. So, all those people we asked probably knew something, but just weren't saying," she explained. Clay nodded.

"Figures. Well, let's get back before your boyfriend has my ass," he said, and they began walking back. After another hour they finally arrived back at the truck. Hellboy, upon seeing Liz, quickly walked over to her, jumping off of the truck. Luckily no one else was in the alley to see him. Gently stroking her hair with his normal hand, he looked over her face.

"You okay? You were gone a long time," he said. Bringing her hand up to caress his arm, she nodded.

"I'm fine. It's my fault we're late. We got separated in the masses," she explained. Hellboy nodded, a smile coming to his face. Pulling her closer he brought his lips to her forehead, glad she was back with him, where no one could harm her. Clay watched them, glad he had been able to find her.

"Alright, folks, we're moving out. Everybody back in the truck," Manning said, interrupting their moment.

"Where we going?" Hellboy asked.

"The Telegnostic Underground. Since we didn't find anything helpful today we're going there to see if we can get a hint." Reluctantly, Hellboy jumped back into the truck, followed by Liz and Clay.

By that time it was pitch black, the sounds of the city a gentle hum as they rode along. Liz stared tiredly out of the window, wondering how long it would take them to get there. Myers looked at her thoughtfully, before taking a small book from his pocket.

"Hey Myers, whatcha got there?" Hellboy asked. Myers looked up.

"It's Robinson Crusoe. My uncle used to read it to me a lot when I was a kid," Myers explained. HB motioned for him to continue reading. The company on board were all very quiet, including Manning.

"So no luck, huh? Might've been different if you'd let Abe and I come along," HB commented, looking at Manning. He sighed.

"You know you might be right. But, in the midst of it you would be discovered, and placed in more danger. All of us, really. So just be patient, you'll get your turn," Manning said, clearly not up for an argument.

"Patience my…" Hellboy felt a hand on his arm. He looked to see it was Liz.

"We're tired, HB. Can you save it for another time?" Her question was soft, but somehow it quieted him. Just as he was beginning to feel slightly down by the it, Liz took his hand in hers. He could see in her eyes that there was no anger or annoyance there, and it quickly made him feel better.

About thirty minutes later the truck came to a halt. Manning got out first, then motioned for the rest of them to follow. Through the dark, a building could be seen. It looked somewhat like a pentagon in shape, painted pure white. There was no fence around it, unlike at the BPRD. "This is it, I think," Manning said, walking toward the building.

"He thinks," Hellboy said, disbelief in his voice.

"Well after all, they are much more 'secretive' than we are," Abe added. A sign stood nearby that read, "YOU BUY, WE BUY." HB looked at it.

"Doesn't make sense."

"Exactly. That's why no one ever comes here to bother them," Abe explained, as they reached the door. Manning opened it, and they entered what seemed to be a lobby. A young man sat at a desk, in custom clothing.

"Can I help…" he stopped when he saw Hellboy. Picking up a phone, he quickly began speaking in a foreign tongue.

"Hey, we're from the BPRD, in the US. There's no need to be alarmed…" Manning tried to explain.

"Security, security!" the young man began to shout.

"Hey! He said not to be alarmed," Hellboy said, force in his voice. This only made the man shout louder, and more urgently. Suddenly, Hellboy stepped forward, taking him by the shirt. In an effort to get him to be quiet, he quickly lifted him up into the air, then threw him back into his seat. It was done with such force that the young man's chair scooted back, hitting the wall with a loud crack.

"Red!" Liz said, the look on her face one of unhappy shock.

"What? He wouldn't quiet down," HB explained, just as some security guards walked into the room. They were followed by a short African American man, in a tie and suite.

"What's going on here?" the short man demanded.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry, sir. We're from the BPRD…" Manning was cut off.

"Ah, the paranormal squad. I see. What have you done to my secretary?" the man asked, looking at the quivering young man. He looked back at Hellboy, then at Manning. "Is this demon violent? I will not permit violence in my headquarters."

"Ah, no, not usually. He just has a quick temper, that's all. We'll be sure he causes no more trouble for you, Mr…?" Manning said, unsure of what the man's name was.

"You may call me Mr.Garnahweh. Follow me if you want my help, or else I'll have to ask you to leave," the short man said, and began walking down a hallway. Manning motioned for the company to follow.


	4. Chapter 4

"A quick temper, ay?" HB commented to Manning. Stopping, Manning glared at him harshly.

"Now you listen to me. If I have to deal with any, and I mean ANY more trouble from you, there will be serious consequences when we get back to the BPRD, got that?" Hellboy said nothing, as Manning continued walking after Mr.Garnahweh. Myers came up next to Hellboy.

"You have to learn control your temper. Those security guards looked pretty aggressive back there." HB made a "blah blah blah" motion with his hand.

They followed the man through the building as he spoke. "I trust that all that we speak of here will never leave the confounds of only your knowledge. We pride ourselves in being as unnoticed as possible, no exceptions. We are not currently aware of the exact whereabouts of the man you are looking for, but we do know the area where he has generally been seen. We are also aware of how dangerous he is, and the precautions you should take to avoid fatal confrontations," the man spoke with a heavy west African accent. Soon they came upon a set of large double doors, that led down into a basement like area.

"This is our underground database, where you will stay for the night. I ask that you be as quiet as possible, and no disruptions will be permitted. Now, while you all get settled, I must speak to Agent Manning alone," Mr. Garnahweh finished.

"Abe, you too. He's my, uh, assistant," Manning explained, when the aquatic creature walked over to them. The real reason was he wasn't sure whether he could remember everything he was told, and he didn't want to be alone in the Telegnostic Underground. Garnahweh looked him up and down, then turned to walk down another passageway, the other two following him.

There were multiple cots in the room, spread out. Liz sat on one, putting her camera beneath it. Hellboy examined one of the cots, wondering whether it would hold him. Probably not. Slowly, he sat on it, gradually putting all of his weight on it. After a moment, a satisfied smirk came to his features.

"Guess it's not so weak after…" a loud thump was heard. The bed collapsed, taking Hellboy with it. "All," he finished , as he sat shocked on the floor.

"Didn't see that coming did you?" Myers asked, half amused. Liz watched the big red demon stand indignantly, trying to hide his embarrassment. HB gave Myers an annoyed look, before turning to speculate on the broken item. A smile played across Liz's face as she watched him, finding him terribly silly.

After a moment she laid down, staring up at the ceiling. The paint was beginning to peel, there were little age marks on it. She could feel her body shutting down, as sleep quickly began to take over. The other agents spoke quietly among themselves, as each began to settle down.

Just as Liz began to fall into a light slumber a familiar voice softly said her name. Opening her eyes she saw that Hellboy was kneeling beside her cot, looking at her. "Didn't mean to wake ya…I just wanted to say goodnight," he whispered. Liz nodded. Reaching out her hand she gently ran it along his massive cheek. His eyes bore into hers, so much tenderness and vulnerability there. A subtle fondness lay in her eyes, she was as beautiful as ever to him, even though tired and somewhat unkempt.

"Goodnight, HB," she whispered back. Standing, he softly walked back to his cot, which lay collapsed on the floor. She watched as he wearily laid down, coming to rest on his back, looking up at the ceiling. She resumed her former position. After a short time sleep overcame her, although it took a while for Hellboy to find sleep in such an odd new place.

The occupants of the room were awakened the next morning by an odd beeping sound, coming from Myer's locator belt. "I set the alarm on it," he explained, turning it off. Hellboy groaned, feeling non too rested. The rest of the squad began to get up, not sure where to go or what to do. A small meal had been prepared for them, consisting of fruit, tea, and a type of gruel. Liz examined the contents of the gruel, before taking a hesitant spoonful. Covering her mouth with a hand, she silently forced it down, trying not to reveal her disdain for it. "You hate it don't you?" Clay asked rather loudly. Liz glared at him, clearly embarrassed. An African cook stood not too far away.

"I think it's…interesting," she smiled at the cook. He smiled back, taking it as a sign of gratitude. Pushing the bowl slightly aside she reached for a banana. Hellboy pulled out a Baby Ruth he had stashed, and munched on it.

"You like porridge, want more?" the cook asked Liz.

"Oh, no, no thank you. I'm almost full. But thank you," she responded. The cook went back into the kitchen after that, not even offering anyone else more.

"Good job," Myers commented. Liz rolled her eyes.

"Mr.Garnahweh and I had a long talk last night. He told me many things. First of all, our Raseinai guy is said to live near a small village between here and a place called Beni Sheik. He resides alone, according to multiple sources. Seems to be quite the hermit. And second of all, he is known to be very dangerous. I've been warned that no one is to go near him without supervision. Including you, Hellboy," Manning said to the big monkey.

"What is it that makes him so dangerous?" Myers asked. Manning sighed.

"He has the ability to manipulate nature….things like plants, weather, and water. He is known by some as the Raja Natural, and it is believed that his powers have been growing over the years," Abe explained for him. Manning gave him a look.

"Yes, well, we'll be moving out soon. So get your things ready. And Liz, I'd like to have a word with you," Manning said, as Liz stood. She followed him into another room, where he turned to speak with her.

"Is there something you'd like to say to me?" she asked, her voice low.

"Yes. Both you and I are highly aware of Hellboy's temper. We know that he can snap without a moment's notice, and that's not always…a good thing. I've come to the conclusion that although Myers is a good liaison for him, he would not be able to stop him in a moment of rage," Manning paused, looking her in the eyes. She returned the look, uneasiness in her eyes. She wasn't sure where the conversation was going. "So, I was thinking, hoping that you might take on the responsibility of…looking after him, so to speak. Meaning when he's about to do something unnecessarily rough or violent, maybe you could try talking him out of it." Liz took an exasperated breath. Her arms crossed over her chest.

"What makes you think he would listen to me?" she asked.

"We both know that you're one of the only people who could tell Hellboy to do something absolutely ridiculous, and he would do it. You have that power over him, he listens to you. And throughout this assignment it's going to be very important that he stay calm when necessary, one wrong move and it could be all our asses. So, I'm assigning you to be his handler. Okay? It shouldn't be such a hard thing, especially since you two are…" he searched for the word. Liz remained stoic. "Well anyway, just keep this in mind," he finished. Walking past her back into the main area, she was left standing there for a minute, stupefied.

"What did Manning need to talk to you about?" Hellboy asked as Liz gathered her few things. She didn't look at him, trying to find an explanation.

"He just said to be careful, all of us. That things could get dangerous," she lied. Abe, who was standing nearby, sensed this. Silently walking over he placed a webbed hand on Liz's forearm. Using his psychic abilities he was able read what was really going on. Liz caught his look, her face severe.

"Not a word, Abe," she warned. Hellboy didn't hear this, he was already walking towards the stairs. Abe removed his hand, eyes blinking, slightly concerned. Liz grabbed her camera, and moved past him. The rest of the team moved out, going upstairs into the main foyer of the building.

"Thank you for not disturbing us last night," Mr.Garnahweh said. "We know not how this Raja Natural acquires his power, but he is very powerful. I wish you all safe travels," he concluded. Manning stepped forward, offering the man his hand.

"No, no, thank you. You've helped us so much," Manning praised. Mr.Garnahweh had given him a file they had on István Raseinai. It contained much helpful information on what exactly the Raja could do with his obtained powers.

--

"Now tell me, how does a guy go from being a strange voodooist to someone who can make plants dance and make it rain on command?" Hellboy asked once they were all in the truck.

"Hmm. It says here that he might have taken the DNA from the plants, and used some form of witchcraft to control the other things. Doesn't say how to stop him though," Abe said, looking through the file.

"Great," Hellboy mumbled, loading one of the cartridges of a gun. "Oh, and one more thing, what's this guy want with me?" HB asked. Abe closed the file.

"He didn't specify. But, apparently he's been trying to reach you since that time in the 80's. Who knows? Maybe he thinks you can assist him in his plans to dominate the world," Abe mused. Liz shook her head, sitting a few feet away. Hellboy saw this.

"What? You don't think I could do it?" he asked her. Liz looked at him.

"What?"

"Take over the world…if I wanted to," he answered. Liz looked at him disbelief.

"Red," she simply said.

"Joking, only joking. I don't think Manning would be too happy about that," he commented. No reaction came from the people in the truck, including Liz. "Jeez, can't you people take a joke? A little humor?" he looked around. Liz sighed, bringing her thighs up against her chest. A troubled look came to lie across her face. Shrugging, HB decided to leave it for now. "Guess not."

Within a few minutes they reached their destination, and the truck came to a stop. The back opened, and Manning stood there. "Now listen, we've able to secure a few huts on the outside of that village he was talking about. But first we need to discuss what we're going to be doing for the next few hours," he closed the back of the truck behind him, facing the group all clustered in the truck.

"Can't we talk about this somewhere other than in this truck?" Liz asked. Manning gave her an impatient look.

"Would you rather be in here and cramped or in a small hut and cramped?" he asked her. She didn't respond, adjusting herself slightly. "Now since this Raseinai fellow lives around here, I think it's best if we ask around a little, see if anyone in the village knows his whereabouts," Manning said.

"That would be unwise. You see, if people know we're looking for him, the word could spread, and he might learn we're here…if he doesn't already know," Abe challenged, receiving an agreed nod from Manning.

"Alright, alright. Wait, what makes you think he knows we're here?"

"Well from what his…" Manning interrupted him.

"Well anyway, I still we should send someone to ask around. If you talk to only a few people then it shouldn't cause too much of a ruckus."

"Who's going to go?" Liz asked. Manning looked around at the group, his gaze stopping on Agent Slate, who happened to be the only African American agent present. Slate gave Manning a look.

"You got to be kidding me. I'm the only black guy here, so you pick me?" he asked.

"Hey, it might make them feel more…trusting of you. It's probably not often that they see people of…different color," Manning explained. Slate wasn't really offended, he was just giving them a hard time.

"A'ight I'll do it. I'll see you people later," Slate said as he opened the truck back to get out.

"Make sure to ask the older people, they're probably the ones that will know," Manning called after him. Turning back, he looked at the remaining members. "Well, until he gets back there's not really anything that can be done. I guess we'll just have to sit and wait." Hellboy sighed cheerlessly.

"Sit and wait. Haven't we done enough of that? I want to get this guy" Hellboy said.

"We haven't been sitting around. We worked our asses off yesterday, and there just wasn't a good result. We'll find him soon enough. Though I'm not sure what we're going to do once we find him," Manning responded, a look of concentration passing over his face.

"I'll kick his ass once we find him. He won't know kittens from apples once I'm finished with him," Hellboy imagined.

"But what if we can't kill him, once we find him? I mean, he is a voodooist, after all," Myers chimed in.

"Don't worry boy scout, we'll figure something out," Hellboy answered.

"Well I'm going to put my things in one of those huts. We'll have to split up, three in each one," Manning said, lowering himself onto the ground from the truck. Liz quickly jumped up too, and made her way down from the truck.

"Hey Liz how about you, me and Abe…" Liz didn't stop to listen. Hellboy stopped, looking after her. "Wonder what's wrong with her. Do you know what's wrong with her?" he asked Abe.

"Maybe you should ask Liz that," the marine man responded. HB huffed, knowing Abe wouldn't say if he knew anything.

--

Please review! I hoped you enjoyed….


	5. Chapter 5

"You always gotta make things hard, dontcha?" Hellboy asked.

"Nothing hard about it. If you two are going to have a healthy relationship, communication will be very important," Abe said, sounding as if it were the simplest thing in the world.

"Where'd you hear that, Dr.Phil?" HB sneered. He hopped down after the other agents, followed by Abe. The sky was a dark gray outside, casting a slight shadow over the plain. From a distance the village could be seen, maybe a half a mile or so away. Three huts stood, in a disorganized manor. Hellboy chose the farthest one. Walking in, he saw that Liz had already staked her claim there. She didn't acknowledge his presence, but continue to examine their temporary housing.

"Mmm. Kinda cosy," HB said, half sarcastic. Liz didn't say anything. "You gonna tell me what's gotten you in such a glum mood?" he finally asked. Liz opened her mouth to say something, but closed it when Abe walked in. Hellboy threw him a warning look.

"Just putting my goggles in here," he said, before walking back out. HB turned back to Liz.

"Liz?"

"It's nothing, HB, really," she said, looking at him with beseeching eyes. He was silent, feeling slightly let down about the whole mess. Sensing this, Liz walked over, and affectionately ran her hand along his normal arm. A reassuring smile came to her face, and it lifted the solemnity from Hellboy's features. She placed a gentle kiss to his cheek, her face lingering close to his for a long moment. As if on cue, Abe walked in after that, carrying a large bottle of water.

"It's so dreadfully hot out there. I really wish there was a lake nearby," Abe lamented. Liz walked over to him.

"How do you know there isn't?" she asked.

"Well I didn't see one, and I certainly didn't sense one," he explained. A clap of distant thunder sounded. Liz walked out in front of the hut, looking toward the darkened sky.

"Looks like lightning," she said. HB joined her.

"Ah. Maybe it won't hit us," he joked, in a serious tone. After a moment, Liz began walking away from the dwellings. "Liz? Where you going?" HB said, following her.

"To find Abe a lake. There's bound to be one somewhere around," she said, turning around to look at him.

"Yea? And what happens when the lightning starts? What if you get hurt?" he was a little concerned. Liz smiled a little.

"I start fires, HB. If fire doesn't hurt me, then why would lightning?" she asked, it was a rhetorical question. HB just stared at her, captivated by her faith. It was rare that she showed such a willingness to be spontaneous. Liz noticed him staring. "What?" HB shook his head.

"Nothing. You just go and find that lake." Liz caught his eyes for a moment, then turned to continue on her escapade. Walking back into the hut, Hellboy watched as Abe slowly poured some of the water over himself.

"They said they would fill a tank as soon as possible, I just hope that sooner comes rather than later," Abe said. HB nodded.

"Liz went to go and find a lake for you. Maybe we'll get lucky," he said, giving the merman a pat on the shoulder. The thunder grew louder in its claps outside, and lightning began to dance across the African sky. Just then, Myers poked his head into the hut. Seeing it was them, he came on in.

"Hey, I just wanted to warn you about the lightning storms. They can get pretty bad. Where's Liz?" he asked, seeing she was not among them.

"She went to go find a lake, for Abe. How's his tank coming along?" Hellboy asked.

"Well we can't bring it out until the lightning storm is over. But it's full. Wouldn't it be dangerous for Liz to…" Hellboy interrupted.

"Asked her the same thing. But apparently since she's a pryo that means lightning can't hurt her." Myers nodded, thinking it made sense enough.

"Then I'll see you two later," he said, and walked out. HB stood there, thinking for a moment.

"Hey Abe, you don't think he…" Abe finished for him.

"Has feelings for Liz? I think that's for him to know. But the important thing is, he would never try to get between you and her, and you know that." HB grunted, not entirely sure about that. He liked Myers, but that one thing kept him from completely trusting him. Sometimes the way he looked at her…it just didn't seem like he saw her as only a friend.

It was about forty minutes later that Liz showed up, clearly skittish about all the lightning and thunder about. No rain fell. "I found one. It's about half a mile away. But it's really small," she said. Abe looked at her.

"Was it deep?"

"I didn't go in, Abe. But it looked okay for you. Not too deep but not too shallow either." Abe nodded, continuing to read through a book he had brought. Suddenly, an earsplitting sound was heard outside. The trio rushed out, to see that one of the huts had been struck by lightning. It was on fire, and shouts could be heard from inside.

"Aw crap," Hellboy grumbled, before bursting into action. Myers was able to make it out of the hut, before HB quickly went in. Grabbing the two stunned men, he dragged them out as the hut began to cave in.

"We need to get somewhere safe!" Myers shouted over the loud thunder.

"The truck?" HB suggested, receiving a nod. The remaining agents quickly made their way to the truck, HB still supporting one of the agents who seemed to have suffered a bit more than just emotional shock. Closing the back of the truck behind them, the group surrounded the fallen agent. Abe put a hand to his chest, trying to decipher what was wrong.

"He seems to have suffered some form of shock. I don't think it's too serious, but it may take some time for him to recover," Abe diagnosed. HB sighed.

"Wouldn't you know it. We haven't done anything yet and people are already getting hurt." He pulled out a cigar, and started to light it. Liz saw this, and put her hand over his.

"Don't do that now. The smoke will get caught inside and it'll smell," she reminded him. He lowered the lighter, putting it back in his pocket. He returned her reproachful look with one of slight embarrassment. The down agent was given some water, and a blanket was put around him. He was awake, but would not speak to those around him.

"So he's gonna be okay?" Hellboy asked Abe quietly. Abe looked at agent Tuff.

"He should be fine in a few hours. I think it was more an electrical shock that went through his whole body when the lightning struck," he said. HB shook his head.

"Been a while since I've seen lightning this bad."

"Well you better get used to it. Africa has them almost everyday in their summer months," Abe voiced.

"Figures."

--

It was about an hour later that the lightning and thunder finally stopped. With only two huts left standing, this meant that it would have to be four in one and five in the other. It was decided that Myers would stay with Hellboy, Liz, and Abe. When Abe's tank was brought out for him, Agent Slate happened to return at the same time.

"Did you find anything?" Manning asked him. He had taken his coat off because of the heat, and sweat was evident on him.

"I spoke to some of the older folks, and this one griot told me that the Raja lives in a jungle a few miles away. They haven't seen him in months though, but he said they've had a lot of their livestock stolen, and they suspect he might be the one stealing them," Agent Slate explained.

"This griot knew English?" Myers asked. Slate shook his head.

"No. But one of his nephews did. He translated for me. Man, I thought they were going to run me out of there when first showed up. I had to tell them I was writing a book on the history of their village, and that one of their people was my ancestor before they let me be." Clay chuckled slightly. "So what happened to the other hut? Lightning get it?" Slate asked.

"Yea, and Tuff got a little shock syndrome going, but Abe say's he'll make it," Clay responded. After Agent Slate had gotten situated, the team prepared to move out toward the said jungle. Agent Tuff had had to stay in one of the huts, giving him time to recover. In the back of the truck Liz sat in one of the crates, the jolting movement of the vehicle making her feel ill. Hellboy glanced at her, wishing deeply that they could have some time just to be alone. It almost felt like nothing had changed, that they were on another mission just as friends. But he knew it wasn't so. And so did she. Feeling his eyes on her she looked up, their eyes meeting. Her eyes widened a little in surprise. They kept the stare going so long that it almost took HB's breath away. She looked so unique, so perfect. Her eyes said so many things, he wanted to reach out and touch her.

_I wish we could be alone. I miss him. Even though he's right there…_

Liz could see the fondness in his eyes, and beyond that the extreme love. Their connection was broken by Manning's loud voice.

"Okay, so we know the code, we know the rules. Just stay together. We need to know what this guy's about before we try to take him down."

"What do you expect us to do? Interview the guy before we kick his ass?" Hellboy questioned. Manning gave him a stern glance.

"Now look, we just don't know much about this voodoo nature weirdo. And I don't want anyone getting hurt," he explained. HB knew he was right, but knew he might not be able to contain himself when he came face to face with the man who killed his father. In a few minutes the truck began to slow down a bit, and the road grew very rocky. Then they came to a halt.

--

Please read and review!


	6. Chapter 6

"Alright, let's go," Manning said, opening the back to the truck. One by one the agents came out. Surrounding them was a breathtaking sight. Trees reached toward the sky, covered in moss and vines. Plants of unique color and look were all around, and humidity hung thick in the air. Camera in hand, Liz lost no time in snapping a few shots here and there.

"Nice jungle," Hellboy commented.

"It's a rainforest," Myers corrected him. HB gave him a look.

"It's a rainforest," he mimicked him, annoyed.

"We'll leave the truck here, for now," Manning said. Liz turned around to scrutinize him.

"Do we know what we're looking for? This is a pretty big rainforest," she asked. Manning was a little taken aback.

"We're looking for the Raja natural. Raseinai. We'll find him." Liz came closer.

"What, so we're just to walk around til we find him? That might take days. And besides, he probably has a hiding place that's going to make it all the more difficult to find him," she explained.

"Don't worry, kid, I got something that might help," Hellboy said, from a few feet away. Liz turned her attention to him. He pulled out a small compass- like device. Opening it, he lifted it into the air slightly. "Gives transmissions of abnormal frequencies. Figure this István guy might give off a few those if we get close," he said, beginning to move deeper into the forest. Liz followed, as did Myers and the rest of the group.

"Hey! Who says we're going that way?" Manning demanded. Receiving no answer, he reluctantly followed. Hellboy discovered something that seemed like it may have once been a trail, and followed it through the dense vegetation. Exotic birds could be heard in the treetops, and a sound of lightly cascading water was ever present. A monkey called out in the distance. As they made their way deeper into the forest, the trees seem to come closer together, and they had to push their way through all the greenery.

"How is he able to make his way through all of this stuff?" Clay asked, pushing an outreached limb away.

"Probably lived here all his life, got used to it. Maybe there are other more walk able trails that we just don't know about," Myers answered him. They continued to trudge on. Suddenly, Liz grabbed Hellboy's arm.

"Look," she whispered. There, a few feet away, were some long slender limbs parallel to the ground. On them, all spread out over them, was a plethora of butterflies. Their wings fluttered ever so delicately, there were so many, of many different colors and designs.

"Hey what's going on up there…" Manning started to complain.

"Shhh!" Liz whispered loud enough for him to hear. Looking at her face, HB could see an enchanted smile there, as she watched the beautiful insects. Her hand still grasping his arm, she whispered, only for him to hear, "it's so…amazing. So beautiful" He nodded.

After another moment he quietly said to her, "they're not the only things that are beautiful." Looking into his amber eyes for a moment, a small smile came to her face. She gave his arm a gentle squeeze. Then, removing her arm from his, she made a motion to keep going.

"Come on," she said. Hellboy began walking again, the line of agents following.

"Power bar, power bar, anybody got a power bar?" Manning called from the back. A silence followed.

"Guess that means no," HB called back. Abe continuously used his hands to feel the environment around him, searching for some human trace. By then it was getting close to evening, the light in the sky fading with each passing hour. They continued to make their way through the dense forest, even as night closed in. Soon no light was left in the sky, and their tiring trek seemed to be worthless.

"Come on Red, we should be heading back. We'll start looking again in the morning," Liz said, as the group began to walk back. HB was clearly upset, angry that they spent all the afternoon looking with no luck. He dragged along, Liz occasionally having to give him a tug on the arm.

It was when they were about halfway back that a dull glow was seen through the trees. "What the…" Manning stopped as they moved closer to see what it was. There, through the trees, an old man sat close to a blazing fire.

"I'll go," Myers said, before quietly moving out of the darkness and into the realm of light that the fire cast. Upon his approach, the older man's head darted up. Myers stood still. "Uh, hi. My name is John Myers and I was wondering if…" he didn't finish. As soon as his head had darted up, the old man quickly jumped up and began running away from Myers through the trees. "Hey!" Myers called, beginning to chase him. He was fast for an old guy!

The rest of the BPRD members quickly followed in pursuit, Hellboy at the lead. An opening in the vegetation came about, and the man quickly turned on Myers, holding a primitive knife in front of him. "Whoa, I don't want to hurt you…" Myers began. Hellboy appeared, and roughly grabbed the weapon, and held the man fast by his arm. The man struggled and fought, only to have HB tighten his grip, making the man squirm in pain.

The others caught up. "Are you István Raseinai?" Hellboy asked angrily. The man glared at him.

"I am no such man! Get your filthy hands off of me you dirty ape!" he shouted, before forcefully thrusting spit into Hellboy's face. This was the final straw. Lifting the man by his neck with his stone hand, HB glowered at him, vengeance in his eyes. At that moment, Manning shoved Liz toward him, giving her a 'do it now' look. Remembering their conversation, she quickly approached Hellboy.

"HB, don't do this. He might know something. Just put him down," she said, holding his other arm trying to get his attention. He began to falter, then stopped, feeling the saliva on his face. "Put him down, Red. Now" Liz said, with much more force in her voice. He knew that if he didn't she would make him. Finally he let the guy down, who collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath.

Hellboy wiped the spit from his face. As angry as he was, once again he felt the sting that came when people immediately judged him for his looks. Kneeling down beside the man, Liz tried her best to sound calm and collected. "You're not István. But do you know anything about him?" she asked. The man regarded her with contempt. She sighed, impatient. "Please, if you know anything, you need to tell us," she tried again. A flashlight was lit, and some light was shed on the area. Seeing her face, the man seemed to soften.

"I have not seen the Raja in these parts. He lives near the eastern border of the forest, far from here," he said. Hellboy stood over Liz, listening. So did the other agents.

"So you don't know him personally?" Myers asked from the side.

"I know him. But we are not on speaking terms. He is a bad man, he stole my grandson from me. You will not find him just looking in the forest. He has a secret place somewhere, very hard to find. I have not seen it. Now let me go," he finished, beginning to stand up. Taking one last look at Hellboy, he murmured some incoherent words, probably in another language. The group watched him go, weariness evident in their features.

"Well that was productive. Let's go. It's kind of spooky in here," Manning said, beginning to walk in one direction.

"Hey grouchy, the truck is that way," Hellboy said, nudging his head in the other direction. The others silently followed HB, as Manning once again was left to bring up the rear. The few flashlights they had brought along didn't provide much help, there were stumbles and trips all through the way. It seemed as if the plants were trying to trip them, reaching out and slinking under.

An hour later they were almost to the place where the truck had been left. In all the calmness of the forest a sudden deafening crack was heard. Looking up, the group saw a tree beginning to come crashing down on them. Luckily, everyone scuttled out of the way. But then another one, consecutively began to fall, forcing them to move back even more.

"What the hell!" Manning exclaimed, as yet a third tree began to fall. Behind them, another one descended. Hellboy quickly pulled Liz out of its way, holding her close to him, protectively. She latched onto his coat firmly, her eyes closing in result to the horrifying sound the trees made as they collapsed. Then, just as suddenly as it had begun, it stopped. The night was still, even the animals were quiet, listening. Five trees lay down, in a shape similar to a pentagon. No one spoke, as Liz quivered in Hellboy's embrace.

"Did he do that?" Myers asked, everyone knew who he was referring to.

"Nah, I'm sure it happens all the time," Hellboy said, sarcasm evident in his tone.

"Well let's get out of here! Before it starts again!" Manning said, immediately heading for the truck. The others followed, each still shaken by the terrifying event.

"Oh my God…" they heard Manning mutter. Coming beside him to see, they were distraught at what they saw. A sixth tree had fallen. Right in the middle of the truck. The vehicle was split in half, the tree dividing two sides. Hellboy groaned, infinitely displeased.

"You gotta be kidding me," he said. Inspecting the truck, he could see that a lot of their equipment had been damaged.

"Now what? We can't walk all the way back to Agent Tuff. We're stuck, like fish in mud stuck," Manning commented, pulling some gum from his pocket. Taking a big wad he chewed it nervously, unhappily surveying the useless truck.

"What are we going to do?" Liz asked no one in particular. Myers saw the forlorn look on her face.

"I don't know. But I have a feeling we'll survive," he said, trying to lighten things a little. She just stared at him, clearly not amused. He quickly sobered, the situation obviously a dangerous one.

"Looks like we're going to have to camp out here, folks," Hellboy said, going to look for some wood.

"Where are you going?" Manning asked him.

"To find some fuel…wood," he clarified. Liz moved after him, to look also. Abe was searching the truck, getting anything he could out of it. Some food, a few weapons that hadn't suffered damage. Seeing that Liz and Hellboy were gone, he went off in search of them. Liz and Hellboy both gathered any wood they could find, searching a few yards between them. Abe found Liz by the shine of her flashlight.

"Quite a bad place we've found ourselves in. No wonder people dislike the Raja so," he commented to her. She gave a tired sigh.

"As much as I'd love to chat, Abe, do you mind helping out?" she asked. He quickly got to gathering.

"You haven't told Red yet, have you?" he asked, sensing her inner turmoil.

"Tell me what?" HB's voice was heard. He approached them, slightly curious.

"Abe, honestly," Liz said to the merman, wishing he would have kept his mouth shut.

"Oh. Sorry. You were going to have to talk about it sometime," he said, before leaving them to go back to the truck.

"Talk about what?" Hellboy asked, shining the flashlight unintentionally into her face. She pushed it away.

"HB. It's nothing. He's just being Abe, you know? Finding out about things that don't concern him," she said, continuing to search. HB wasn't deterred so easily.

"Well it concerns me, so tell me," he said. She didn't respond. "Liz," he said, growing a little impatient. She stood up straight, looking him in the eyes.

"I just…Manning wants me to be your…handler," she said, her eyes anxious.

"Handler? What's that mean? Like you handle cattle?" he asked, not understanding.

"No, Red. Because of your temper. He told me to keep an eye on you, and make sure you don't do anything that might jeopardize this mission. You're my assignment. He said Myers couldn't do it alone," she explained, seeing the look on his eyes go from confusion to realization.

"Your assignment? I don't need a handler. That's what he was talking to you about the other day? What a jerk. The nerve of him…" Liz cut him off.

"Maybe he's right, Red. Think about it. Sometimes you do lose your temper…like today. If you hadn't let that man go he wouldn't have told us anything. And then what would we do? Just…don't make me have to intervene, HB. I don't want to have to do that," she pleaded, her eyes imploring his in the soft glow of the flashlight. He couldn't understand the feeling that was beginning to rise in his chest. Was it anger? Frustration? Hurt? No. It was a little bit of each. Liz saw the flash of detriment that crossed his features, and had to look away. She knew he would recover, but she didn't want to be the cause of his unhappiness. They finished in silence, each pondering the previous encounter. Hellboy decided to brush it aside as best he could, he didn't want it to add to their current predicament, what with a useless truck and being stranded in a rain forest.

--

Please read and review!

I feel like I'm seriously losing reader interest, so I may decide to discontinue this story on fanfiction . net, although I have almost finished the story already. What I've posted on here is only a fraction of what I have written!


	7. Chapter 7

Note: The poem used is "Rain" by Shel Silverstein.

--

…what with a useless truck and being stranded in a rain forest. And a man that was trying desperately to show them the extent of his power.

"He shouldn't have spit on you," Liz said as they walked back to the truck. Remembering the anger she had felt herself when the man had done that.

"Maybe you should go tell him that," HB responded, unable to hide his dismal mood. Liz said nothing, knowing he had a right to feel this way. She wished she could cheer him up, but how can you cheer someone up when you yourself are not cheery?

_I opened my eyes_

_And looked up at the rain,_

_And it dripped in my head_

_And flowed into my brain,_

_And all that I hear as I lie in my bed_

_Is the slishity-slosh of the rain in my head._

The dampness of the night was no comfort to those forced to sleep on the ground. Liz put her hand to the pile of wood pieces, and waited a minute for it to finally catch flame. The agents watched her, slightly in awe of her igniting power. A few energy bars were all they had for dinner, the fire providing little comfort, as it was not cold, only moist and dank. Crickets sang loudly, the sounds of the rainforest no quieter than usual.

The members of the BPRD formed a sort of unorganized clump as each tried to get some rest. There was proper space between everyone. Liz lay between Hellboy and Abe, listening to the animal calls, wishing for a blanket. She pulled her coat tighter around her. Propping herself up on an elbow, she leaned over to whisper to Hellboy, "Goodnight. Sleep well."

"You too," he responded. She reached out to stroke the hair on the sides of his face, but received no response. Moving to her former position, she felt the coldness of loneliness creep in. He was right there beside her, but she could already feel the distance between them widening.

What happened? Just this morning they had shared that stare in the truck, and then the butterfly incident had happened. Maybe it would be better in the morning. Maybe this wasn't really what it seemed to be. The earthy smell filled her nostrils, and soon a strange sleep overtook her.

It was sometime in the wee hours of the morning that a light rain began to fall. Liz awoke, and looked down to see HB's tail uncomfortably patting the ground, clearly he was awake. Without much sound, Liz snuggled closer to him, bringing her face to rest against his shoulder. To her surprise he adjusted himself, so that he could put his normal arm around her, bringing her to rest against his muscular chest. He could feel her warm breath on him, and it brought him a comfort he had never known. With the rain tumbling down they lay there, knowing there was no where to go that might shield them. It would be okay.

_I step very softly,_

_I walk very slow,_

_I can't do a handstand--I might overflow_

_So pardon the wild crazy thing I just said--_

_I'm just not the same since there's rain in my head_

--

"Shouldn't we send someone to go and check on Tuff? I mean he's been alone for almost 24 hours. What if he's still in shock?" Clay asked the next morning.

"He won't be. And I think it would be wise for all of us to stay together. He'll be fine. He'll wake up, realize we aren't back, and go to the village if he needs something," Abe calmly spoke.

"Only he ain't black like me," Slate joked. HB chewed a Baby Ruth. Since they obviously couldn't take the truck, the necessary supplies that had been saved had to be divided among the group. Luckily there had been a pile of backpacks in the truck that they could put to use.

Everyone's clothes were still damp from the night before, but any extras had been left in the huts. Only Liz had thought to bring a spare that she had bundled up in her backpack. Before they set out she changed, wearing a black tank top with matching black pants. The black only intensified the paleness of her skin, though she still looked undoubtedly attractive.

"Alright folks, let's get going. According to this compass East is that way, and that's where we'll be going," Manning said, pointing in a direction.

"And watch out for falling trees. Anybody sees anything give out a warning" Hellboy added.

The others all got ready, before another rain forest trek began. Liz fell in walk with Abe, who was one of the slower ones. Hellboy was in the front again, this time with Manning at his heels. Keeping his tracking device in one hand, HB kept his eyes alert for anything out of the ordinary.

"You know you're going to have to learn to control that temper of yours, in case we meet anymore jungle people. We don't want them to come after us with spears and arrows," Manning said. HB ignored him, focusing on the job at hand. Thoughts of his father slide showed through his mind, and he was reminded of exactly why he was doing this. They walked on, and eventually Manning quieted down.

A light mist remained in the air, as the travelers continued on through uncharted territory. There wasn't a trail to the eastern part of the forest, they had to make one themselves. Birds in the treetops sang their calls, while a few monkeys watched with curiosity. At one point they came to a wide stream, the water quickly gushing over the shimmering rocks.

Liz rolled up her pants, bringing the legs of them up to her knees. The mossy rocks proved to be more slippery than they looked. HB slipped a few times, clumsily treading over them.

"You know, I think I like it here. It's never too dry, and it's very poignant," Abe said as they walked through the stream. Liz concentrated on not tripping.

"I'm glad you're enjoying it. I can't say I love the feeling of moisture on every inch of me though," she responded. Abe made a sound that resembled a laugh. Another hour passed, nothing happened.

Hellboy spoke through his locator belt, "How are holding up back there, Abe?".

"We're fine. But we'll have to stop soon, Liz has to go to the bathroom, and so do I," Abe responded. Liz glared at him, she hadn't said anything about having to go. "I could tell by the way you were walking, it's not hard to see," Abe explained to her. HB grunted, not really wanting to stop.

"I think a bathroom break sounds nice," Manning said from behind. Then, in a louder voice, "Okay people, we're stopping for a few minutes." The line of commuters stopped.

"I'll be right back," Liz said. Turning, she made her way through the underbrush to a safe distance away. Some of the others did the same, each careful to stay in their own space. After a minute, Liz's voice was heard. "Hey guys, I think you should come look," there was apprehension in her voice. HB quickly came over, followed by the others.

"What?" HB asked. She motioned toward a tree. There, on a crudely made wooden sign, were the letters

**_Chungia Kwa Angu Nguvu _**

A skull of what appeared to be an orangutan hung off to the side of it.

"What does it mean?" Myers asked.

"I'm guessing, 'Stay off of my property'" Hellboy suggested.

"It's in Swahili. That word, Nguvu…it means power, or strength," Slate said. All eyes turned to him.

"How the hell do you know Swahili?" Manning asked him. He shrugged.

"It was my grandmother's native language. I only remember a few words of it, it wasn't easy to learn," he explained.

"Well we've obviously stepped into some dangerous territory here. So I guess we should be really careful now," Liz said, turning to head back toward where they had come to a stop. Manning tried to hide the tremble in him that was beginning to form.

"One minute, I gotta make water real fast," Slate said before heading off behind a tree. Manning rolled his eyes.

"He waited til now to do that?"

"Maybe the monkey skull scared him so much he had to go again," Clay said, chuckling a little. Hellboy took the tracking device out of his pocket, it had begun to make a quiet ticking sound. Moving in around, the ticks got faster and then slower.

"We got something here," he said, finding the most concentrated area. Just then, a loud scream was heard not too far away. It was Agent Slate's scream.

--

twilight theme dodododo dodododo.

Please review!


	8. Chapter 8

HB raced over to where he had been, shoving rude plants aside. Liz and the others did the same. There, in a somewhat deep hole in the ground, Slate lay, sprawled out.

"Slate! Slate! Can you move?"Clay called to him, looking down into the pit. It was clearly a booby trap. The man below groaned in pain, and made an effort. He managed to sit up, although every movement was painful for him. Without notice, Hellboy leapt down into the hole. Liz held her breath, proud of him but also scared for them. As gently as he could, HB lifted the fallen agent, and lifted him toward the others who were reaching down to try to grab hold of him.

"Ah, sweet Virgin Mary," Slate complained loudly as Myers, Liz, and Clay grabbed hold of him and pulled him out of the pit. They laid him down on the forest floor, as Abe began to examine the extent of his injuries. Liz looked back into the hole.

"Can you get out?" she asked, concerned. Hellboy looked up at her, and nodded. With a grunt he jumped up slightly, grabbing the side of the pit with his stone right hand. Using both hands he lifted himself up, and ended up on his belly beside Liz. She helped him up, using both arms to help him stand. They exchanged a look, nervous relief in her eyes. " You have a broken leg," Abe told Slate. The man moaned. Then, without warning, he suddenly began to convulse, his body moving in jerky, almost possessed movements. The group around him backed off a little, confused as to what was happening. The whites of his eyes showed, and it looked as if he was struggling with some invisible force. Clay jumped down to try and hold him still, as did Myers.

"It looks like he's having some kind of seizure," Manning said, horror evident on his face. Then, as suddenly as the convulsions had begun, they stopped. Slate was still. He then took a deep breath, his eyes opening, looking at those around him. Clay and Myers knelt by him.

"Hey, you okay buddy? That was some pretty weird stuff that just happened," Clay asked him. Slate stared at him, an unusual look in his eyes.

" Mie wasia kumuua wewe!" Slate shouted, then lunged for Clay's throat. He had him in a death grip, as he shook the man violently, spitting out words in Swahili. Myers took hold of Slate, trying to get him off of Clay.

"Let him go! Are you crazy?" Myers managed to say. HB quickly intervened, roughly forcing Slate's hands from Clay's neck. Clay crumpled to the ground, gasping for breath, deep bruises on his neck. Liz knelt by him, encouraging him gently to breathe, along with Abe. Slate then tried to strangle HB, to no avail. The red demon held him by the neck, in a firm but not choking manner.

"Slate? Slate!" he said. Slate's eyes were wild and vengeful; this was not Slate. Seeing Liz off to the side, the man' s violent movement stopped, and he stared at her.

" Mwanangu,"he murmured, reaching a hand out to her. Liz looked at the hand, then at his face. The vengeance had gone, but this still was not Slate. "Mwanangu," he repeated, then, in English, he said, "Your fire is very beautiful." He reached for her again. Liz's eyes went wide.

" No," she quietly responded. Then, the possessed man went limp, eyes closing. HB lowered him to the ground.

"Is he… ?" Myers asked, not wanting to say it. HB felt for the man's pulse. Looking up, all knew the answer. Sorrow flooded Liz's eyes, as she held Agent Clay. Even Manning was saddened. No one was quite sure what to say or what to do.

Then, in a quivering voice, Myers asked, " I don't understand. He was possessed? By the Raja? Hellboy sighed deeply, greatly upset by his comrade's death.

"Apparently so. That's probably why Red' s tracking device started going off right before he fell," Abe answered.

" How did he know… why did he say my fire is beautiful?" Liz asked, bewildered. HB scanned the forest around them with his eyes.

"Don't know. I guess he might know a little about all of us," he replied. Liz looked down, fear spreading across her features. "We should go," Hellboy said after a moment.

"Can you stand?" Liz asked Clay, who she was helping to sit up. He nodded, and she helped him to his feet. He took a few deep breaths, clearly still shaken by the previous events.

"We can't just leave him here," Myers said, referring to Slate. HB stopped, looking at Myers.

"Well what do you suggest we do? There's no place to bury him here, and we can' t drag him along."

"We can come back for him later, when this Raja guy is dead," Manning intervened. Myers looked at the fallen man, and then went over to fold his hands over his stomach, in a peaceful position. He felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Liz.

"Come on," she said gently. He nodded, and followed along with the rest of the group. Liz fell to the back of the procession, and gave the dead agent one last mournful look. She saw some movement in the nearby vegetation, and to her surprise it was a little African boy. He stared at her, his eyes wide. "Myers look," she whispered, grabbing his arm.

By the time he looked the boy had vanished. " What?" he asked her. She scanned the area for the boy, but found no one.

Shaking her head, she just said, "never mind."

By nightfall the remaining members of the BPRD were worn out, including Hellboy, who hadn' t gotten nearly enough food intake in comparison to the hefty amounts he usually ate. Some canned corn and meat were split among the group, although no one really felt like eating. Even Hellboy stared at the spam sandwich that had been given to him, unable to eat it. Liz saw this, and sat down beside him.

"Eat," she quietly said. He shook his head, putting the food to the side. Liz picked it back up, and put it in his hand. "Red, you need to eat. Please?" she begged him with her eyes. He saw the underlying concern, and reluctantly bit into the sandwich. Liz gave his arm a soft pat.

That night the chirps from the crickets seemed especially loud. Everyone kept their ears alert, listening for any unusual sound. It was deep into the night that Liz was awakened by a strange noise. Sitting up, she strained to hear. It sounded like crying. A child' s crying. Leaning over, she gently shook Hellboy. "Red, Red wake up," she whispered. His eyes opened, and he looked at her.

Groggy, he brushed her aside. "Shh, go back to sleep, Liz,"he told her. She tried to get his attention again, but his eyes closed and he turned over on his side. Sitting there for a moment, she finally decided to deal with it herself. Standing, she quietly made her way over the sleeping bodies, towards the crying. It was dark, and she struggled to see. She pushed outreached limbs aside, and carefully walked to where the crying was.

Suddenly, it stopped. Liz listened, all the sounds of the rainforest drowning in her head. She heard someone's loud breathing, it wasn't her own. Turning her head in the direction of the sound, she could barely make out the figure of a small child, sitting huddled against a tree.

"Hey, what's wrong?" she whispered. The child bolted, running away from her to another tree. "No, no, I won't hurt you. It' s okay," she knelt down, slowly reaching her hand out. She could see the boy look at it, then at her. He stepped forward, regarding her carefully. He was the same boy she had seen earlier. With dark skin, he wore a long tattered dashiki that went down to his knees.

"You are good? Not bad?" he asked her, she could barely understand his thick African accent. Surprised that he spoke any English at all, she nodded.

"Not bad," she responded. He stepped forward again, this time taking her hand. "What is your name?" she asked.

" I am Amadi. I saw you before. You travel with the big red man. What are you doing here?" he asked.

" We're looking for a man by the name of István Raseinai, or the Raja natural to some people."The boys' eyes widened. Terror was evident.

"The Raja? He has taken me captive many times. I try to escape, but he always finds me. Early this morning I was able to get away, and I followed you here," he explained. Their hands still clasped, she gave him a gentle squeeze.

"Why does the Raja keep you captive,?" Liz asked him. He was silent for a long moment, as if trying to decide whether he could trust her. "I won't tell," she reassured him.

"When I touch things… plants… I can make them alive if they are dead. Healing. That is my gift, and the Raja wishes to have it, to take it from me. Plants are not the only things I can heal… he does not know that. He takes my blood and makes me raise trees and flowers from the dead. He is very cruel, I will not go back to him. My grandfather taught me English when I was very young, but I have not seen him for many evenings," the boy said, sadness in his voice.

"How old are you?" Liz asked.

"I was nine the last time I saw my grandfather. I am near to ten now," he responded. Liz nodded, smiling at him. "You are very pretty. I have not ever seen someone like you," he said, staring at her hair.

"Thank you. Amadi... where does the Raja live?"

He paused for a minute, looking around the rainforest, as if trying to remember. "It is under the ground. A large bat cave leads to it, it is hours from here. If you walk in that direction you will find it," he said, pointing in the direction of their camp. "I do not want to go back though, please do not let him take me again," he said, rushing forward, wrapping his little arms around her. Liz held him, stroking his head tenderly.

"I won't," she whispered, silently praying she would be able to keep that promise. With a quick movement, the boy turned from her, looking into the darkness.

"I see you have found what is mine. It will do you good to return it," a man's voice called from the darkness. The boy immediately ran behind her, clinging to her shirt. She stood, summoning any bravery she could find.

"It is the Raja," she heard Amadi whisper.


	9. Chapter 9

Note: Poem used is "Spring Night" by Sara Teasdale

--

Turning to face the darkness, she could see the man coming forward. He too wore a long dashiki, with many necklaces. At that same time, Abe had been awakened, slightly disoriented by the quiet murmur of voices. He made his way toward the place where Liz was.

"You are István Raseinai. The Raja natural," she said, trying to stall for time. She could see him smiling in the dark.

"Yes, that is who I am. Now give me the boy," he stepped forward. Within a second Liz had two flames in her hands, a look of fortitude on her face. She heard a sickening laugh. Abe appeared behind her, unsure of what was going on.

"Liz..." he began. She didn't hear him.

"Your fire is very beautiful, Elizabeth. But flames cannot endure water," the Raja said. She stared at him, shock on her face. How did he know... A rain immediately started to pour, and she struggled to keep her flames.

Realizing he was moving closer she hopelessly shouted, "Red! Clay! Somebody help me!"

"Leave her alone!" Abe's voice called out. Liz looked at him, surprised to see him there. The Raja made no acknowledgement of the paranormal man.

"Abe, get out of here!" Liz shouted at him, knowing he was putting himself in danger. The sleeping folks a distance away all awoke with a jolt. Hellboy immediately realized Liz was not by his side, and bolted into the darkness in the direction of her voice.

"I envy you for your power, but it will be mine also, soon enough," the Raja grabbed for the boy. Liz thrust her herself at him, and he was forced to back away. She was still retaining her fire, despite the heavy rain. Just then, HB lunged onto the scene. Seeing the man that Liz was walking towards, he prepared to take him down.

"Liz!" he called her name. She stopped, hearing the familiar voice.

"Red..." she didn't finish, because just as Hellboy had almost reached the Raja a flash of lightning corrupted the area around them, blinding them for a few long seconds. When they regained their focus, they could see no Raja. He was gone.

"Amadi! Amadi!" Liz shouted, looking around desperately for the small boy.

"Who's Amadi?" Hellboy asked, coming over to her.

"He was the boy that the raja was after... he took him! He took him," she said, grief on her face. The other members of the BPRD arrived at that moment, flashlights abound.

"What happened?" Myers asked, seeing Abe holding Liz's arm in confusion, and the flames dying around Liz. The rain stopped, and the night stood still. Without a word Liz walked back in the direction of their camp, and bewildered, the others followed. She was able to get another fire going.

"It's a wonder the lightning didn't strike us," Abe commented. HB felt his uneasiness growing. Liz sat, staring into the fire.

"What were you thinking?" Hellboy asked her, a bit of anger in his voice. She hadn't heard him speak to her like this in a long time.

"What?" she asked, staring at him. He sighed, frustrated.

"What were you thinking, going out there alone? You could have been killed... and so could Abe," HB said. Liz couldn't believe this. He was blaming her?

"I tried to get you to go with me, Red. You wouldn't wake up. I didn't know that was going to happen!" she said, louder than she intended. HB looked into the flames, his worry had morphed itself into anger, anger at her for almost getting killed.

"What if I hadn't come when I had? What would you have done?" he asked her, still not fully understanding the situation. Liz felt deep fumes raging in her. What would she have done? She would have burned the Raja, burned him to death. That's what she would have done. She stood, anger apparent in her voice.

"I don't need you to take care of me," she said, her voice cutting. HB stood also, looking into her eyes.

"But they had to take care of you in that hospital, didn't they?" Hellboy seethed, immediately regretting his words. He watched as a dark cloud descended over her face. Flames appeared in her eyes. The glow from the fire only illuminated it, making it harder to bear. He wasn't angry with her, he never had been. He had only been terrified... terrified that he almost lost her. Upset that she didn't feel she needed his care.

"Liz, I didn't mean..." he never finished. Almost as soon as he had begun saying the words, her hand flew up, and in a blind fury struck him hard across the face. The slap resounded with a sickening sound. It didn't really hurt, not physically. It stung, both on his face and in his heart. Liz had never harmed anyone... ever.

Her body began to smolder with igniting flames, but they quickly died down. Tears flooded her eyes, and she felt her heart break. The anger left almost as quickly as it had come. Why had she just hurt the one she loved most? He looked into her eyes, seeing the distress there. All were quiet around the fire, all having witnessed the fight.

"Red..." her voice quietly cried. She shook her head, and suddenly rushed past him and into the forest. Sounds of her vomiting up the little dinner she had had were heard, as Abe went to check on her.

Hellboy just stood there, shocked by what had just happened. No one said a word. Slowly he sat, the painful realization spreading over him. He had been hit many times, had attempts made on his life. But this was personal. This was Liz. After a few long moments Myers came to sit by the big demon. HB made no response.

"You know, sometimes, when people are angry, they say and do things they don't mean..." Hellboy held up a hand, silencing him.

"Myers, I appreciate ya trying to help, but you're not," HB said. Myers nodded apologetically, and moved back to his spot.

"Well I'm going back to sleep. And it would benefit you all to do the same," Manning said, lowering himself to the ground. After a little while Liz came back, and silently laid down near the fire. Hellboy watched her, waiting til he thought she was asleep. Then, he too laid down, close enough to her that he felt she was safe. Looking up, Liz could see the dark blue shade of the sky between the tree branches, almost black, but not quite.

The sounds of nature surrounded them, and Liz once again marveled at how beautiful everything was. Hearing Hellboy's deep breathing, she turned to watch him. Remorse flooded her being. Remorse at what she had done. She sat up, and scooted closer to hisstill form.

Leaning over, she pressed a heartfelt kiss to his cheek. The same cheek that she had earlier struck. With her hand she ever so lightly stroked his face, letting her eyes linger on him for a few moments. Then, with as much subtleness as she could, she went back to her old place. The sky was so beautiful...

Oh, is it not enough to be

Here with this beauty over me?

My throat should ache with praise, and I

Should kneel in joy beneath the sky.

O beauty, are you not enough?

Why am I crying after love

With youth, a singing voice, and eyes

To take earth's wonder with surprise?

--

Early the next morning the group ate, and prepared to head out. Liz told them what Amadi had told her. "If we go in that direction for a few hours, we should find it," she told Manning and Myers. When she was left to get ready, Hellboy slowly walked over. She looked at him, unsure of what to say. That anxious feeling came, the one where the very person you want to avoid suddenly shows up at your doorstep. He looked to the ground, the same feeling coming over him. He couldn't avoid her though. He didn't want them to apart.

"Liz... I just... I want to..." he began.

"Don't, Red," she paused, looking toward the sky. "I'm sorry. For everything. But, I just can't talk about it right now. And... I think we need some space," she finished, looking him in the eyes. As much as it hurt to say the words, she knew she couldn't be with him right now. She needed to figure some things out for herself. She didn't want to hurt him again. Never again.

Space. The word sent fear through Hellboy's soul. He didn't want space from her. Quite the opposite. He wanted to be with her, every moment. He wanted to take care of her. Even though she didn't need him to.

Liz saw the hurt in his eyes, and looked down. Was this it? Were they ending before they had really begun? A few days. Only a few days had passed since they had shared their first kiss. It was more like a week, but still. Letting out a heavy sigh, Hellboy watched as she turned to finish getting her things together. The group set out, Liz right behind Hellboy. Myers had taken the lead this time. Agent Coal brought up the rear, with Abe right in front of him. Thoughts of Amadi weighed heavily on Liz's mind. She knew they had to help him, he didnt deserve to be used by the horrible Raja.

"I hope he's okay," she said quietly, not meaning to say it out loud. Hellboy looked back at her, questions in his eyes. "Amadi," she murmured. HB plodded on. "We're gonna find him," he tried to reassure her. With all that had happened neither of them was quite sure of anything anymore. Except one thing. And that was how they felt about one another.

HB had only caught a small glance of Amadi the night before, Liz hadn't elaborated on his story. It surprised him that she seemed so concerned about the little boy, one that she had only met the day before. Although they were all tired, the traveling party stopped only once for a nature break.

Hellboy and Liz remained constant in their pace, neither willing to slow down or let the weariness over take them. It was especially humid that day, and soon HB had had enough. He took off his long sleeved black shirt, and settled on walking through the forest without one. Liz felt sweat rolling over her body, her bangs plastered to her forehead.

"Raseinai... from what I can tell he's a pretty powerful guy," HB said as they made their way onwards.

"I don't know if Ill be able to kick his ass like I thought I would... so, anything happens, watch out for Abe, will ya?" the question startled Liz. It sounded almost comedic, yet there was a seriousness in it that proved otherwise.

"HB, what are you talking about?" Liz asked him. He didn't look back at her.

"Well, just in case anything happens… to me, I mean. And I don't make it out of there…" he trailed off. He felt her grab his arm firmly, and was forced to stop. A darkness shed over her eyes. The intenseness of her gaze caught him off guard.

"Nothing is going to happen to you," she said quietly. He realized there was a protectiveness in her voice, that he hadn't heard before. There was also a certainty that said she wouldn't let anything happen to him. But, doubt somehow seeped in.

"Don't make promises you can't keep, Liz," he looked into her deep brown eyes, then turned and began walking again. He remembered her telling him something similar before they came to Africa. And now they were two agents short. One dead and one…who knows. They were silent for the rest of the way. His words had awoken something in Liz, a feeling of trepidation filled her. She brushed it aside over and over again, determined to stay focused. She wasn't going to let anything happen to him. Of that she was sure.

Please review! Any suggestions for how I could make this story better?


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